Smart Tots Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Banbury for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in April 2022. Open since 2008, with 80 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Oxfordshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Oxfordshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
OX16 0AEWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 11 April 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children are well looked after and feel safe and secure in nursery. They form close bonds with the staff who care for them. Children arrive happy and eager to get involved in the range of exciting activities that staff plan for them. They separate from their parents with ease. They are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging. Babies snuggle with staff as they look at books. Toddlers enjoy singing and clap rhythms, copying staff and making music with their friends. Older children work together to make magical potions. They take turns to gather water to add to their mixtures and kindly offer some to their friends.
Children benefit from plenty of time outdoors in the fresh air and develop good physical skills in relation to their age. They ride around on tricycles as they act out going on superhero missions. They become immersed in their imaginary play as they pretend that the balls are pet cats that they must rescue together. They develop their skills in problem-solving and teamwork. Children laugh and smile as they crawl through tunnels and practise taking turns to roll a ball to one another.
They are polite and think of others as they ask each other how they are feeling and talk about their emotions.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- encourage staff to review the organisation of activities so that they are appropriate to the age and stage of development of the children participating n support staff to encourage all children to get involved and engaged in meaningful learning, especially during times when they have free choice of activities.
- 11 April 2022Good
- 23 November 2016Good
- 21 May 2013Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Smart Tots Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.